Refillable cosmetic packaging was once seen as the future of sustainable beauty, offering consumers a way to reduce waste and embrace eco-friendly luxury. However, as brands like Glow Recipe and Fenty Beauty discovered, the refill model quickly proved costly and impractical. Despite its sustainable promise, consumers often opted to repurchase full-size products instead of refills due to price points, convenience issues, and low perceived value.

This article explores why refillable beauty packaging hasn’t lived up to its hype, examining the cost challenges, consumer behaviour, and environmental paradox behind the trend. While refill systems reduce single-use waste, their production and shipping footprints often outweigh the benefits unless reused many times.